


An Old Man's Advice

by zinjadu



Category: Highlander: The Series
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-27
Updated: 2012-06-27
Packaged: 2017-11-08 17:19:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/445605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zinjadu/pseuds/zinjadu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joe gives Richie some advice.  Written a while ago, rehosting here.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Old Man's Advice

“Hey, Joe!” Richie happily greeted the older man as he entered the bar and hung up his new leather jacket.

“Hey, Richie, where you been keeping yourself?” Joe asked as he got out a beer for the young man.

Bounding up to the bar, Richie grinned. “I’ve gotta girl!” he crowed.

Joe could barely hold back his surprise. “Yeah?” he asked, smirking. “What’s she like?”

“Well, she’s really pretty and her legs, and oh man Joe, you should see her legs. Fantastic. And she’s funny, and sweet. I really like her.” Richie was almost vibrating he was moving around so fast. He could barely sit still on the bar stool.

“She seems nice.”

“Yup, she is. She’s perfect.”

“Now, I gotta warn you off of that word, Richie. No one’s perfect.”

“She’s pretty damn close.”

“Okay.” Joe smiled and nodded and gave it a week.

It was a week and half when he found Richie in the bar about an hour before opening time, behind the counter where the clinking of bottles could be heard.

“I know you’re gonna pay for whatever you drink,” he said, leaning on the bar looking down at Richie.

Richie shot right up, almost dropping a twelve year old bottle of Scotch that would have probably cost more than his rent. “Yeah, I’m gonna pay, don’t worry.”

“So, what happened?” Joe tried for nonchalance and failed, if only because he knew exactly what happened. What always happened to the kid. He was just too earnest and going after the wrong kind of woman.

“She left me, and took about a hundred bucks too. Already had a boyfriend.” Richie opened a bottle of beer with more force than was strictly necessary and took a long pull.

Joe sighed. “You gotta stop doing this to yourself.”

“But how?” he asked, banging his head on the bar.

“I’ll give you a lesson in picking out the right kind of girl. One that when she leaves, at least isn’t gonna rob you.”

“Thanks. ’Preciate it.”

So that night Richie was barred from alcohol, as it would render his judgment worse than normal, and Joe was starting to see how messed up Richie was.

“What about her?”

“She’s giving at least five guys a look.”

“But she’s got great legs.”

“Stop looking at their legs and look at where their eyes are.”

“Well, she’s got pretty eyes too.”

“Richie.”

“Kidding.” He grinned. “Okay, her?”

“You’re getting better at this. Yeah, she’s a good one to try, but don’t be surprised if you get shot down.”

“Why?” he asked, indignant.

“Cause she’s outta your league.”

“I’ll show you. Have two drinks ready,” he said and stomped to try to prove his friend wrong.

Joe smirked and shook his head. He could barely watch what happened, but it was all in the name of that boy learning a little. Oh, and he went down hard. Definitely going to have to work on the approach, he thought, kid was trying to be smooth when he should be going for something else.

When Richie came walking back dejectedly to the bar, Joe did him the courtesy of having the extra drink ready.

“You won’t need that,” Richie said, morosely staring at his beer. “I bombed it. She didn’t even pay attention to me.”

“Try not acting like you do, then.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You come on too strong, kid. And being Mr. Smooth, not your thing. Just relax and be yourself. I know it sounds stupid, but trust me, it works.”

“I’m not the kind of guy girls like, Joe. I mean, I’m not cool. You’re cool. You play the guitar and sing, girls love that. And you’ve got a bar and...”

“No legs,” Joe interrupted.

Richie shrugged. “I forgot, but that doesn’t matter does it? You’re cool.”

Joe shook his head. It was a damn shame the kid would always be eighteen. “It matters to some, Richie.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” Joe poured a few drinks in silence, but brightened when he saw a girl come in and look around a little nervously. “Hey, how about her?”

Richie looked up and when he saw her he looked like he’d been shown Paradise. “Wow.”

“I’d say so. Go over.”

It didn’t take more than that. Richie flew out of his seat and he was starting to approach the girl like he normally would but checked himself. Joe watched this time and it was better. At least Richie came away smiling.

“Well?”

“She’s here with some friends, but I got her number!” Joe looked and the girl sat down with some other women. They all looked at Richie when the one pointed at him and smiled.

“And it looks like her friends approve.”

“Huh?” He turned and they waved. Smiling, he waved back.

“I’d say you’ve come a long way tonight, kid.”

“Yup, thanks to you.” And he raised his glass to Joe.


End file.
